Know Him

The message at church yesterday really grabbed my heart – the message was “How do we respond to the beauty of Jesus?”

I have studied the idea of the beauty of Jesus over the years., I have read about it and listened to sermons preached on it, read and sat in on teachings on it. I love the idea of it and the truth of it, but I have to say I’ve never really thought to deep about my response to His Beauty. I guess I always just thought when I see His beauty it will be awesome!!!! But how do I know how to respond?

First of all the Bible shows us over and over again how people responded when they saw him — Moses, Peter, John, all the disciples and many others when he rose from the grave. In each case their life was forever changed and the only response is unending worship, not know what else to do, never wanting it to end, some fell as dead men, but one thing in common was their lives were changed forever and ever!!! And each one made a difference in the world and the people around them.

Second, I have seen his beauty a thousand times in my life starting with the day I found him and he found me. Over the 35 years I’ve been walking with him I have seen it and experinced it over and over again. My response is and will be the same as all those before me, a lifestyle of worship as I stand in awe of Him and then going into the world and leading them to the beauty of Jesus through my life, worship and prayers.

The place work should be a different place because of Him, the people I interact with should be moved and affected by my very presence because of Him. Because of the message yesterday I am making a new commitment to prayer for my work place, a new commitment to love through the eyes of Jesus, a new commitment to be a servant to those who are above me and below me in the work place.

16 After seven days the Lord gave me a message. He said,17 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately.18 If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths.19 If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.

20 “If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.21 But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.”

22 Then the Lord took hold of me and said, “Get up and go out into the valley, and I will speak to you there.”23 So I got up and went, and there I saw the glory of the Lord, just as I had seen in my first vision by the Kebar River. And I fell face down on the ground.

24 Then the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet. He spoke to me and said, “Go to your house and shut yourself in.25 There, son of man, you will be tied with ropes so you cannot go out among the people.26 And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be speechless and unable to rebuke them, for they are rebels.27 But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse, for they are rebels. ~ Ezekiel 3:16-27

This is pretty stinking clear — speak when God tells you to speak. God knows how we tend to speak when we shouldn’t, we speak for him, it’s so easy for man to say “thus sayeth the Lord” and give a message to people that have no power and no meaning.

God tells Ezekiel that if he tells him to speak to people and he doesn’t deliver the message their blood/death is on his hands, but if he does tell them and they don’t listen he is FREE of whatever happens to them. WOWZERS!!! That is huge huge huge. NEVER speak for God unless God tells you to… period!! This is different than quoting scriptures to someone, giving them the “word” … this is warnings from God about a life being led by someone. Think about how the Christians in this world speak to gays, Muslims, people who have or perform abortions, and the list can go on…. we cannot speak for God, we CAN give scripture, but we cannot say more than that UNLESS God himself directs you and GIVES you the words. (eat the scroll….)

This is so important and we are so prideful thinking we know look what God does to Ezekiel (who is a mighty man in the Lord) “Go to your house and shut yourself in. 25 There, son of man, you will be tied with ropes so you cannot go out among the people.26 And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be speechless and unable to rebuke them, for they are rebels.27 But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse, for they are rebels.

Many people have the wrong idea about God, the Bible and humility, or being humble. They think being humble means groveling in front of others or thinking they are no good and others are better.

That’s not what the Bible says. God says when you are humble, you are free from pride and arrogance. You know that in your flesh you are inadequate, yet you also know who you are in Christ.

You don’t need to defend yourself when you understand what the Bible says about humility, for you know who you are in Christ. You can be a peacemaker without needing to fight for your rights. You can walk humbly in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in your own strength.

Godly humility is being comfortable with who you are in the Lord and therefore putting others first. The picture of humility in the Bible is one of a strong person who loves others, not someone who is a wimp.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

Humility also is recognizing that you need God’s help, knowing you can’t truly succeed in your own strength. It is thanking God for your talents and gifts, and giving him credit for your accomplishments.

It is being comfortable with who you are in Christ and seeking to build others up, not yourself. It is gratefully walking in God’s grace, love, and forgiveness.

In the Bible, Jesus gives us a good example of humility in action. Although he was the son of God, he was gentle and humble–and he was strong.

I am gentle and humble in heart. (Matthew 11:29)

Your attitude should be the same as that of ,Jesus Christ, who is the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)

Humility in action

Many people misunderstand the Bible, God, and humility. They think humility means being weak or passive. That’s not God’s message to us. The following statements show the power in humility.

You can defuse arguments when you are humble.

You don’t need to stand up for yourself in an angry manner. And you don’t have to win every argument.

You can handle unfair treatment peacefully when you are humble.

You can respond to unfair treatment without becoming bitter. Godly humility means you do not feel a need for vengeance or revenge.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)

You do not have to put on a “false front” when you are humble.

When you understand God and humility, you don’t need to act like a big shot. The better you know God, the less you have to prove.

You can eat “humble pie” without being crushed when you are humble.

When you are humble, you can respond to and learn from criticism without becoming defensive—whether it is deserved or not deserved. Likewise, you can be aware of your failures without being emotionally devastated.

You can ask for forgiveness when you are humble.

Even if you think you are only one percent wrong, you can easily apologize for what you did wrong.

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)

You can talk with the right attitude when you are humble.

You can talk courteously and lovingly, regardless of the situation — even if you need to be firm or take strong action.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)

Being humble does not mean being a wimp

As I already wrote, many people misunderstand humility. The following statements correct three inaccurate pictures of humility.

Bible-based humility does not mean groveling.

When I humble myself, I feel strong in the Lord. I don’t need to be defensive.

Bible-based humility does not mean being unaware of your gifts or calling.

Although we should avoid self-pride, godly humility does not mean we should pretend we are unaware of the gifts God has given us. The key is to remember that they are from God.

Although I am less than the least of all of God’s people, this grace was given to me: to preach to the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. (Ephesians 3:8)

I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. (2 Corinthians 12:11)

Bible-based humility does not mean we should never speak directly.

When God says to be humble, he lets us know we must examine our motives and attitudes. We also must examine how we respond to others. But there are times when we need to take strong action. Here are two examples of taking strong action while maintaining a humble spirit:

Jesus was meek of spirit, yet he chased the moneychangers out of the temple (Matthew 21:12 and Mark 11:15-16).

As an employer, I can discipline or fire someone, yet do so quietly and gently.

God and humility — Enjoy the power in humility

You will usually be more successful when you practice what the Bible says about God and humility than if you are pushy or arrogant. (When you are humble, you are likely to have more influence than when you fight abrasively.)

Even if you don’t achieve the results you hoped for, you have the joy and pleasure of having acted in a godly manner. When you understand the meaning of humility in the Bible and put it into practice, you are a winner—even if you do not “win.”

Walking in the Spirit, loving one another, is the key to great relationships—particularly that most intense of all relationships, marriage. God’s Word tells us that the Spirit, however, is in opposition to our flesh. What exactly is the flesh?

“Flesh” is that condition where my focus is primarily on myself, self-centeredness to a great degree, as I attempt to live out of my own resources. My resources are the stuff that I can produce on my own or put stock in outside of God like heritage, education, IQ, personality, etc.

“Flesh” is me trying to live life independently of God, so that I can cope with life.Flesh is trying to produce life on my own rather than in Christ.

I don’t know if people realize this, but flesh can actually look good on the outside. Someone can be functioning in the flesh and you might think, “Wow, what a cool person.” But listen to what Paul said when he’s describing his flesh:

…If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:4-8)

Now, you look at all those things and say, “Well those sound pretty good! Moral, passionate, religious, good heritage, aren’t those good things?” Paul takes these things, which give him incredibly high status in his culture, and calls them garbage—he calls them “dung” actually. (The literal translation is really a much stronger word than “dung,” but we’re trying to run a ministry so I’m not going to say it.) The point is that Paul takes the things he’s earned in the flesh (titles, earthly possessions, social status, etc.) and says they’re worse than worthless compared to Jesus and to living His life in the Spirit.

**this is NOT my writing – this is from the book “The Three Battlegrounds”

Satan fears virtue. He is terrified of humility; he hates it. He sees a humble person and it sends chills down his back. His hair stands up when Christians kneel down, for humility is the surrender of the soul to God. The devil trembles before the meek because in the very areas where he once had access there stands the Lord, and Satan is terrified of Jesus Christ.

Who Truly Are You Fighting?
It is important to recognize that the immediate source of many of our problems and oppression is not demonic but fleshly in nature. Indeed, one aspect of our lives, our flesh nature, will always be targeted by the devil. These fleshly areas supply Satan with unhindered access to undermine our prayers and neutralize our walk with God.

It is only our exaggerated sense of self-righteousness that prevents us from looking honestly at ourselves. We know who is in us, but we must also know what is in us if we will be successful in our war against the devil. Therefore, be specific when you submit yourself to God. Do not rationalize your sins and failures. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is a perfect shelter of grace, enabling all men to look honestly at their needs.

Accordingly, be honest with God. He will not be horrified or shocked by your sins. God loved you without restraint, even when sin was rampant within you; how much more will He continue to love you as you seek His grace to be free from iniquity?

Before we launch out in aggressive warfare, we must realize that many of our battles are merely the consequences of our own actions. To war effectively, we must separate what is of the flesh from what is of the devil.

Allow me to give you an example. My wife and I once lived in an area where a beautiful red cardinal kept its nest. Cardinals are very territorial and will fight off intruding cardinals zealously. At that time, we owned a van that had large side mirrors and chrome bumpers. Occasionally, the cardinal would attack the bumpers or mirrors, thinking his reflection was another bird. One day, as I watched the cardinal assail the mirror, I thought, “What a foolish creature; his enemy is merely the reflection of himself.” Immediately the Lord spoke to my heart, “And so also are many of your enemies the reflection of yourself.”

Before we have any strategy for attacking Satan, we must make sure that the real enemy is not our own carnal nature. We must ask ourselves, Are the things oppressing us today the harvest of what we planted yesterday

Jesus Christ himself had a “Head”. It is because he did not “do his own thing” or think his own way. He always sought to follow Father’s directions and adhere to Father’s words. He thought Father’s thoughts
and spoke Father’s Words.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

John 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

As you can see, Jesus did not “free lance” like earthly men are prone to do by thinking their own thoughts and speaking their own words.

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: 14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

You cannot “put on the mind of Christ”, who is the Father Himself, if you do not know Him and cannot hear His voice. Jesus could see the Father and hear His voice at all times. That is how he was able to use the Father for his own Head. He thought Father’s thoughts and followed Father’s ways in all instances. If you have been taught that God does not speak to men in the way He spoke to the prophets, obviously you do not and have not heard Father’s voice. You CANNOT “put on the mind of Christ”! As for man and his righteousness in the eyes of God, the following is written:

Psalm 14:2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. So if a man cannot hear Father, then He cannot follow Father’s lead nor any commandment He might give at any moment. He cannot “put Father on his head”. Father is the mind of Jesus!

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Jesus just might be too big for arrogant self-assuming and self-righteous men to “put on”! You cannot presume about your capabilities without walking a mile or two in Jesus’ shoes. I understand that all men have come “short of the glory” and our measure is beneath the “fullness of the stature of Christ”.

Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Let us eyeball Jesus and apply his thinking to recent events in our time. As we do this, think about your own thoughts on these matters and measure yourself against Jesus. He will be our measuring tape.

Are you in ministry? Are you starting/planting a new church? Here is a gift

These are not doctrines or rules of a church but what we believe!!

THE IMPORTANCE OF CORE VALUES

Values determine a church’s ministry distinctives. No two ministries are alike. Some churches focus on biblical preaching and teaching, others on evangelism, and still others on counseling or the family. This is why it is acceptable to start churches even when there are other churches nearby. Different churches reach different people. The determiner is the essential values.

Values dictate people’s personal involvement in the church. Church leaders can spare themselves and their churches grief by communicating their values to all who are considering becoming a part of the church. Communicate the values early in the life of the church and repeatedly throughout the life of the church. Encourage those with similar values to join. Encourage those with different values to look for a church that is more in line with their values.

Values communicate what’s important. Values signal your ministry’s bottom line and make it clear what you believe is God’s heart for your church. If a core value is evangelism, make it known.

Values help people embrace positive change. Changes in American society are having an impact on churches. Some of the changes have been good and some bad. The key question is: Does this change agree with or contradict the ministry’s core values? Reject that which contradicts, and accept that which agrees.

Values affect the church’s overall behavior. Values shape the entire organization, determine the ministry’s direction, and dictate every decision you make and every dollar you spend.

Values inspire people to action. The shared beliefs of leaders and followers are the motivators that energize people to take action. Values infuse ministry with meaning. They touch people at a deeper level that provides a sense of cause and brings significance to their lives.

Values enhance credible leadership. Many leaders, as well as their churches, are values-driven and the ministries they build reflect those values. As go the leaders, so goes the church. Leaders with good values build ministries of integrity.

Values shape a ministry’s character. Values are the qualities that make up an organization’s character. This character determines how an organization conducts its ministry.

Values contribute to ministry success. An organization’s ingrained ownership and understanding of its core beliefs make it possible for its people to be successful in ministry.

DEFINING CORE VALUES

A church’s primary values are defined as its constant, passionate, biblical core beliefs that drive its ministry. This definition has five key elements.

Core values are constant. Core values change very slowly. Change usually takes from 2 to 4 years. This is why it is hard to revitalize an established church. It takes time to change people’s values. Consequently, it’s critical that you begin with the right values.

Core values are passionate.Vision is a seeing word; passion is a feeling word. Core values touch the heart and elicit strong emotions. They stir feelings that can move people to biblical, Christ-honoring ministry.

Core values are biblical. The true test of a credo or values statement is: Does it square with Scripture? The statement doesn’t have to be found in the Bible, but it shouldn’t contradict the Bible.

Core values are core beliefs. People use various synonyms for values: precepts, principles, tenets, standards, or assumptions. Values are your primary or core beliefs. A belief is a conviction or opinion you hold to be true based on limited evidence or proof.

Values drive the ministry. Values are the deeply ingrained drivers behind the behavior of a church. This includes the decisions made, money spent, risks taken, problems solved, goals set, and priorities determined.